Alex Rodriguez took his first at-bat in front of his “home” fans since his steroid scandal came to light, leading off the second inning at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
Rodriguez received a lackluster reaction of more boos than cheers and got even less response after striking out on four pitches against Rays pitcher Wade Davis.
Rodriguez went 0-for-2 and left after five innings with the Yankees leading Tampa Bay 2-0. The crowd at George M. Steinbrenner Field included the Yankees owner. Also yesterday, Brian Cashman said that matter of Rodriguez being picked up from his spring training opener by his cousin “has been handled.”
Facing renewed questions about Rodriguez’s associations, Cashman gave a vague reply before the home spring training opener Thursday.
A day earlier in Dunedin, Rodriguez homered and walked twice, then got into a SUV driven by Yuri Sucart. He’s been identified as the cousin who provided Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs obtained in the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez admitted using them while playing for Texas from 2001-03.
With AP